Tie plate and rail clamp



ATTORNEYS W. F. ROBERTS TIE PLATE AND RAIL CLAMP Flled July 22 1925 WITNESSE:

Oct. 12 1926.

Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

we 1 71,602,458 I ED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

TIE PLATE AND RAIL CLAMP.

Application filed July 22, 1925. Serial No. 45,342.

This invention relates to a combination tie plate and rail clamp and aims to provide a device of this character which has all of the advantages of tie plates heretofore known and used and which also remains clamped to the rail even after the cross tie begins to decay. The tie plate and rail clamp constituting the present invention is so constructed and organized that the vibration and undulation set up in the rails by passing trains is resolved in the tie plate in such a manner as to apply only lateral strains to the spikes, pulling strains acting longitudinally of the spikes and tending to draw the same out of the tie being eliminated or at least minimized.

A further object resides in the provision of a device of this character which is of simple and durable construction, reliable and effective in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object is to provide a combined tie plate and rail clamp which is susceptible of adaptation for use with straight rails or curved rails as may be necessary.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a view partly in transverse vertical section showing the combined tie plate and rail clamp constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the combined tie plate and rail clamp showing how it is positioned when assembled with the rail, the

rail being omitted for the sake of illustration,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the parts of the combined tie plate and clamp, and V Figure l is a plan view thereof.

Referring to the drawings, and more especially to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the combined tie plate and rail clamp constituting the present invention consists of two similar complementary parts, designated generally at 1. Each part 1 has a fiat platelike portion 2 adapted to rest on the tie T and formed with spike-receiving openings 3 through which the spikes S are driven. As shown in the drawing the openings 3 are placed near the edge of the base plate in which they are formed and these openings have their outer walls rounded. Due to the rounded formation of theouter walls of the spike-receiving openings and to the fact'that the spikes are driven with their back sides toward the rail and into holding engagement with the plates instead of with the rail, when a heavy load passes over the rail the vibration is absorbed in a rising revolving movement of the tie plate without ex erting a pulling strain on the spikes. In fact the pulling strain is translated into a lateral strain. The freedom of the tie plate to take up the vibration in this manner without drawing the spikes is had not only because of the co-action of the spikes with the rounded walls of the spike receiving openings but also because of the resilient support of the rail-engaging portions of the tie plates. portion 2 is an upwardly inclined connecting portion 4 having a lengthwise slot '5 extending from a point adjacent its center out through one end thereof. A rail-engaging portion 6 of substantially channel formation is provided and has one of its side portions 7 integral with the connecting portion 4, its body portion 8 extending vertically and at right angles to the side portions 7 and its other side portion 9*extending upwardly from the body portion 8 and back over the lower side portion 7 Although the parts 1 are identical in construction they are oppositely arranged and assembled, the slots 5 interfittiug to interconnect the two parts. The attaching plate-like portions 2 are of such a size that the spike-receiving openings 3 thereof are disposed out beyond the rail-engaging portion 6. As illustrated in Fig. 1 the rail-engaging portions 6 receive and snugly engage the opposite sides of the base of the rail. These rail-engaging portions overlie and are slightly spaced from the base or attaching portions 2. The metal making up the parts of the device is sufliciently heavy and strong to enable the device to serve its purposes but this metal is possessed of. suflicient resiliency to enable the inclined portions 4 to flex slightly and to translate an upward pull set up by passing trains into the pull exerted transversely of the spikes S, thereby preventing the spikes from being pulled out from the rails.

I claim 1. A combined tie plate and rail clamp Integral with each plate-like portion of one part being spaced from and overlying the base plate of the other part whereby a limited amount of flexion is permitted.

3. A combined tie plate and rail clamp consisting of a pair of parts adapted to be assembled together and having attaching portions and also having rail-engaging portions provided with spike-receiving openings adjacent their edges, said spikercceiving openings having rounded outer Willl'S adapted to co-act with spikes.

WILLIAM F. ROBERTS. 

